Have VA Coverage or Tricare for Life? Learn how Medicare and Medicare Plans can benefit you!

If you are a veteran with health care coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs, you aren’t required to sign up for Medicare when you become eligible.

However, there are some good reasons to sign up for Medicare if you have VA coverage or Tricare for Life. In fact, the VA itself recommends that veterans with VA health care enroll in Medicare Parts A and B when they become eligible.

In this video, we’ll go through the reasons to sign up for Medicare if you have VA coverage, let you know which part of Medicare you can safely delay, and let you know about some Medicare Advantage plan options designed with VA benefits in mind.

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Although the VA and Medicare are both government health care programs, they don’t work together. Medicare won’t pay for any treatment received at a VA facility, and the VA won’t pay for any treatment received at any non-VA facility.

Why does the VA recommend that veterans with VA health care also enroll in Medicare when they become eligible?

1. Having Medicare gives you more options for care. You can go to a non-VA facility without having to worry about being responsible for paying all costs if you have Medicare. If you don’t live near a VA facility, this reason becomes especially important.

2. VA coverage isn’t the same for everyone and isn’t guaranteed for the future. The VA has different priority levels for enrollees. Your priority level depends on factors like your income and whether you have any medical conditions as a result of your military service. If VA funding is cut, some lower priority groups could lose VA coverage.

3. If you delay enrolling in Medicare Part B and decide to enroll later, if your VA health care coverage is cut, you may owe a late enrollment penalty. That penalty is larger the longer you delayed Part B enrollment, and you pay it every month for as long as you are enrolled in Part B.

Which part of Medicare can you safely delay if you have VA coverage?

Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage can safely be delayed if you have VA coverage. If you get your medications through the VA, you don’t need to sign up for a Medicare Part D plan when you are first eligible.

The VA is considered creditable coverage for Medicare Part D, so even if you lose your VA coverage, you won’t owe the Medicare Part D late enrollment penalty as long as you sign up for a Part D plan within 60 days of losing VA coverage.

If you need medications the VA doesn’t cover or you’d like the flexibility to use either the VA or a Part D plan with local pharmacies to fill prescriptions, you can enroll in a Part D plan when you are first eligible or during the Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 through December 7 each year.

How about those Veteran Medicare Advantage plans?

Some Medicare Advantage companies have plans that are available to all Medicare beneficiaries but specifically designed with veterans in mind. Plan specifics vary by company and geographic region. Often the plan marketing will mention that it was developed with veterans in mind.

These plans can provide savings for anyone wanting to have the freedom to use providers outside VA facilities.

#MedicareandVABenefits #VA #VABenefits #MedicareAnswers

0:00 Intro
0:55 Why does the VA recommend Medicare?
1:16 More Options for Healthcare
1:36 VA Coverage isn't Guaranteed
2:01 Avoid Late Enrollment Penalties
2:23 Safely Delay Medicare Part D
3:19 Medicare Advantage Plans for Veterans
4:03 Have Questions? We Can Help!

[Cissycute]

This is not entirely correct. My husband has and is receiving treatments where the VA is picking up the tab for his private cardiologist and hospital treatment. In fact he just received his payment confirmation letter from the VA informing him that they will be covering his private doctor and the scheduled treatment at our local hospital. He has both Medicare A and B plus the VA.

[smoke]

I am 63 so 2 years until I must decide, a little about me retired Army, VA and Tricare which will morph into VA and Tricare For Life at age 65. So...yes I can tell Medicare to go pound sand but that might be stupid as the odds of being medically evacuated in an emergency to a VA facility are slim and none. It appears to me at least that I should do Medicare A + B, and as for replace traditional Medicare with Advantage I am unsure if this is smart? So spell out for me the pro's and con's of doing so?